Hello everyone, just sending a quick update about my doings as Winter finally cedes to Spring. Lots of stuff happening and a special…AWARD NOMINATION ANNOUNCEMENT! I’m excited to announce that my novel The Archaeologists is up for an award — the Mary Scorer Award for Best Book by a Manitoba Publisher presented by the Manitoba Book Awards. (Okay, it’s not the Giller Prize, but it’s still cool…) Good luck to all the authors and the publishers on the shortlist!Ebook now available: Also the e-book version of The Archaeologists is now available on Kobo for the sweet sweet price of $6.99! Nook too! Other versions coming soon…UPCOMING EVENTS:

Peterborough, ON: Next week – Wed. March 29th, 7:30pm, I’ll be reading from The Archaeologists FREE at Traill College, Junior Common Room, Scott House, along with two great Peterborough talents: Devon Code reads from his new novel Involuntarily Bliss and Janette Platana from her latest A Token of Affliction. It’s a great lineup! Details and poster here.

Hamilton, ON: Returning to my old stomping grounds of The Central Library (where I was writer in residence a few years back) to launch The Archaeologists in Hamilton! Hal Niedzviecki, Sally Cooper, Joe Ollman, Christine Miscione. Saturday, April 22nd at 1pm. Free. Central Library, 55 York Boulevard.

Toronto, ON: LitBang! Pop Up Shop featuring Broken Pencil and the works of Hal. Starting April 7 and throughout the month, my books will be on sale at this ultra cool pop up shop put on by Feathertale Magazine! There will be crazy low prices, super deals on Broken Pencil Magazine and other cool literary journal type reads, plus new BP merchandise including t-shirts, buttons and even a pencil case! It’s in the Ossington and Queen area, so drop by. Here’s all the info.

UPCOMING WORK:

I’ve written a piece of what I’m calling fictional memoir. It’s a piece about a minor author asked to give a talk about his book about the future to a college in suburban Detroit. (Sound familiar?) Anyway, the piece is appearing in the Spring issue of SubTerrain Magazine, so sign up to get yourself a copy!Stuff you might have missed:

The Archaeologists on CBC’s The Next Chapter with Shelagh Rogers: Recently, I talked with Shelagh about the themes of my new novel, why I serialized it online, and more! You can listen to the full interview at your leisure here.

The Archaeologists in the Winnipeg Free Press: A great review of the novel! “A mystery wrapped in a study of psycho-social malaise, The Archaeologists is an intriguing and gripping portrait of contemporary Canadian life.” Read the whole thing here.

New Article: I had the honour of contributing a piece to the great UK site Dark Mountain. It’s called “Trump and the Anti-Future Age” and you think you know what it’s about, but I think this piece will surprise you! Give it a read here. (I also contributed a longer piece for their upcoming book length anthology, more on that in a future newsletter!)

“While Trump was trashing or ignoring the techno standard bearers, his opponents were eagerly deploying slick social media and analytics technologies and kowtowing to the new gods of so-called innovation.” Read the rest here!

Hal gets the scoop he’s been waiting for!

It’s weirdly tranquil behind the house. Fenced-in backyards face each other. Susan Proudfeather sits alone, cross-legged on the yellow-green grass. Proudfeather seems to be meditating or something. She’s got her eyes closed. A black bird flies overhead, heading for the river across the street and down below. Not exactly sure what to do, Hal stands there, fingering the record button on his camera. Finally, he steps closer and points his camera at the seated woman.

(All 34 chapters of The Archaeologists will be published online on the websites of 5 great magazines between now and October. The novel will be published by ARP Books in Fall 2016.)

“Niedzviecki’s vividly portrayed characters, caught in the conflict between the natural and the urban, resonate with the rage that unbridled modernity raises in all of us, whether we know it or not. The Archeologists is a novel Jane Jacobs would have loved.” — Wayne Grady, author of Emancipation Day.

Is Tim spiraling out of control? Can Charlie save him? Or will he take her with him?

Charlie edges over to the point where bank crumbles into the river. The water lurches by, green on top, brown and brackish on the bottom. Tim takes Charlie’s hand, hot and full in his dry cracked palm. Tim remembers what Charlie said about the rocks leading to the sweat lodge hut. Thousands and thousands of years old. Can a river be old? Water? How old is dirt? What about the air? Is that old?

Hold on tight, Charlie says.

(All 34 chapters of The Archaeologists will be published online on the websites of 5 great magazines between now and October. The novel will be published by ARP Books in Fall 2016.)

“Niedzviecki’s vividly portrayed characters, caught in the conflict between the natural and the urban, resonate with the rage that unbridled modernity raises in all of us, whether we know it or not. The Archeologists is a novel Jane Jacobs would have loved.” — Wayne Grady, author of Emancipation Day

Chapter 21: June–Thursday, April 17

June finally meets Tim in this pivotal chapter! You won’t believe what happens next! (Ha…pathetic attempt at clickbait, but, well, it is a pretty dramatic chapter…)

“June freezes, her fists distending against the glass. A man is staring in. June gasps. But he doesn’t seem to see her. He gazes through and past, like she’s not even there. He’s scraggly, his pale face dotted with patches of wispy beard. Young guy, June registers, he can’t even grow a beard. He’s wearing an army surplus jacket. The jacket’s too big for him. It hangs off his skinny frame, a tattered shirt handed down to a scarecrow. June breathes again. He isn’t particularly intimidating. Why doesn’t he see me? Get out of here, June thinks. Go.”

(All 34 chapters of The Archaeologists will be published online on the websites of 5 great magazines between now and October. The novel will be published by ARP Books in Fall 2016.)

“Niedzviecki’s vividly portrayed characters, caught in the conflict between the natural and the urban, resonate with the rage that unbridled modernity raises in all of us, whether we know it or not. The Archeologists is a novel Jane Jacobs would have loved.” — Wayne Grady, author of Emancipation Day

GREAT piece in Fast Company talking about my take on how future has become a fetish. Particularly good summary of my take on the “historical argument”, the idea that human beings have always sought innovation. READ IT HERE.

Chapter 19: Susan—Thursday, April 17

After crashing the community meeting about the proposed highway through the ravine, Susan and her small group of protestors have a planning session and Susan has a profound revelation: “If you live in shadow, that’s what you become.”

(All 34 chapters of The Archaeologists will be published online on the websites of 5 great magazines between now and October. The novel will be published by ARP Books in Fall 2016.)

“Niedzviecki’s vividly portrayed characters, caught in the conflict between the natural and the urban, resonate with the rage that unbridled modernity raises in all of us, whether we know it or not. The Archeologists is a novel Jane Jacobs would have loved.” — Wayne Grady, author of Emancipation Day

(All 34 chapters of The Archaeologists will be published online on the websites of 5 great magazines between now and October. The novel will be published by ARP Books in Fall 2016.)

Niedzviecki’s vividly portrayed characters, caught in the conflict between the natural and the urban, resonate with the rage that unbridled modernity raises in all of us, whether we know it or not. The Archeologists is a novel Jane Jacobs would have loved. — Wayne Grady, author of Emancipation Day